ANA Kholodkova could not speak a word of English when she arrived in Merseyside from Russia four years ago.

But today the 16-year-old learned she had achieved 11 GCSEs including anA grade in English.

As well as learning a new language, Ana also had to cope with the death of her stepfather Michael from cancer on the last day of her exams.

Ana, from South Wirral high school, achieved six A grades - English language and literature, art, German, maths and religious studies - and gained B grades in graphics and IT and a C in double science.

She also took her AS exam in Russian a year early, achieving a grade A.

Ana said it was extremely difficult for her when she arrived in Wirral having left all of her family and friends behind.

"My mum married an Englishman and came over to England so I obviously came with her.

"I was excited about coming to a new country but it was also very daunting. I can remember my first day at school when I could not speak a word of English."

But a determined Ana took extra classes away from school to help her to be able to understand her teachers and new friends.

Ana moved to England with her mother Svetlana, who runs her own property business, and sister Olga, 18, who also attended South Wirral.

Her stepfather was diagnosed with lung cancer in November.

South Wirral head Catherine McCormack said: "Ana is a fine example of someone who has overcome a tremendous amount of difficulty."

Ana plans to go on to sixth form.

. JOSH Roberts's mother Sharon Broudie died of cancer just days before his first GCSE exam.

As a result of his mother's illness, Josh, from Wavertree, missed several weeks of school - but the Blue Coat School student still achieved seven GCSEs - an A in art, B in English literature and 5 C passes in English language, history, IT, maths and French.

The 16-year-old said: "I am happy because I did not get the chance to study properly with going to see my mum and looking after her. I thought I would fail all of them."

. SOUTH Wirral high school pupil Daniel Tyler scored a perfect 100% mark in his RE exams, putting him in the top five in the country.

THE number of Merseyside students scoring top GCSE grades rose again this year.

Knowsley saw a huge improvement in grade A to C passes, with 72% in some schools.

At St Edmund Arrowsmith RC high school in Whiston, the most improved in the borough, the number of children with five or more A to C passes, rose from 53% last year to 72%.

In St Helens, the overall pass rate rose by 7%.

The overall percentage improvement in Wirral, Liverpool and Sefton was unconfirmed but education officials were confident of a significant increase.

Nationally the continuing rise in top grades has again led to calls for an overhaul of the exam system, with some experts proposing scrapping GCSEs in favour of diplomas.